Amber Eyes
by rclariix3
Summary: Fenrir Greyback chases down magical children and finds an alone Hermione Granger. He watches her after pinpointing a burst of magic to her household. His wolf decides for him, that she was to be made Pack. AU! Like hella AU. Marauders Era. HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

Hello! So this popped in my head while working on a WIP and I thought it would be really interesting to explore.

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Fenrir Greyback watched the little girl curiously. She couldn't be more than six years old, yet every day for the past week, he watched as her parents dropped her off and left her by herself for hours each day. His lip curled in disgust. Filthy muggles.

He knew he would have to wait just a little longer and the other children would leave. Normally he wouldn't care, but he was waiting for a reason. It was his life's mission to overrun the wizarding world with werewolves by stealing their witches and wizards. It was better when they were young; much easier to train in the ways of the Pack. He felt an outburst of magic recently and pinpointed it to the little girl he was currently watching. He had to be careful though. It wouldn't do to lose her because he scared her away just yet.

He tilted his head, hearing a couple of the parents asking about the girl. They assumed another parent was hers. He snorted. Stupid and unobservant the whole lot of them. Fenrir shifted easily, and laid on the forest floor, placing his head on his paws. He could wait patiently.

xXx

Hermione smiled softly at the boy on the swing next to her. He gave her an ugly look and jumped off the swing. She pointedly turned away, refusing to be hurt by the action. If he wanted to be mean, then fine! Hermione jumped off the swing and went to the empty sandbox. Other kids always left toys here, which suited Hermione just fine. She would play with them.

It wasn't until the sky started to gradually get darker that Hermione got up from her play space. She admired the rather detailed castle, knowing it would be gone tomorrow. She looked around and saw that all the other children were gone. Her mother and father would be back soon to get her. Hermione went to the center fountain and began to wait patiently like she has been since this routine started up. Her eyes widened considerably when she saw a _really_ big dog, with bright golden eyes slowly walk closer to her. Her mouth opened wide in a grand smile when she realized it wasn't a dog at all but a _wolf_.

Hermione hopped off the fountain and approached the animal - who was taller than she was! - putting her hand out like she's been told to with dogs she's never met. She figured it would work with this wolf too. It would smell her and then she could pet it! Hermione flinched when instead of sniffing her hand like she expected, it put it in its mouth. She frowned at the wolf. "That's not nice." She was bringing her hand back when the wolf bit her hard enough to draw blood. Hermione tensed instinctively, tears coming unbidden to her eyes. "Not nice!" She cried. She shoved the wolf away, cradling her bloody hand to her chest, wailing loudly at the burning sensation, tears streaming down her face.

Fenrir growled, shifting back to his human form, furious at his wolf. He cursed at the wailing child in front of him, the scent of her blood making his own race in excitement. He breathed in deeply. He hadn't been able to smell a lick of magic until his wolf bit her. Now though, it surrounded her. She was witch. A muggle-born naturally, but a witch. He supposed it wasn't much of a loss since he would have bit her later regardless. If she died because she didn't have a magical core, then oh well. Muggles can't survive the bite.

He let out another curse and roughly picked the girl up, scowling at the way she immediately curled into him. Didn't she have any self-preservation? He nearly sagged in relief when her wailing eventually ceased to just the occasional sniffles. "What's your name pup?" He asked, voice gruff. He wondered at her seeking comfort from him, seeing as he had just bit her. He wondered if she was just stupid because of the muggles that reared her. "Hermione." She answered quietly, her bloodied hand still close to her chest. Fenrir grunted in response, looking around the now dark park. He should really take her now. The full moon was in a few days. He looked down at her, with her ridiculous amount of hair that was both curly and bushy. "I'm Fenrir. I was the wolf." The pup immediately started squirming in his grasp, trying to get free. So he dropped her.

He dragged a hand over his face when the little chit started crying again. He felt his wolf wanting to take over and almost decided against it. Another look at the crying child again though and he wholeheartedly gave control to the wolf.

"You're mean!" Hermione glared at him, standing up before kicking him in the leg. The wolf merely chuckled and kneeled down to her level. He brushed her hair back behind her eyes, finding amusement in the way she glared at him. "There pup. He is a mean one. But we'll keep you safe." Hermione pouted and crossed her arms. She pointedly looked down making her hair fall around her face. The wolf chuckled. "You're a feisty little pup. Come on. You don't need to be with those filthy muggles." Hermione couldn't help but look up at that. "Muggles?" She stared at him curiously, thinking his eyes were a really pretty color. "Your parents pup. They're muggles. People who without magic." Hermione's eyes widened. She uncrossed her arms and grasped onto his coat. "I can do magic?" He grinned ferally at her. "Yes pup. Now come along." She raised her arms wanting to be picked up and the wolf obliged her. She immediately laid her head against his chest. "Don't be mean anymore. I won't be friends with mean people." The wolf laughed heartily at that. He could feel Fenrir's amusement as well. "We shall endeavor not to be mean." Hermione's nose scrunched up. "What's endeavor mean?"

xXx

Fenrir growled at the wolves surrounding the girl his wolf chose for the Pack. They backed off, though stayed closer than he'd like, in case the pup turned out to be too weak to handle. He felt rage coursing through him at the blatant disrespect and knew it was from his wolf. He was Alpha – he deserved to be respected! Fenrir subtly shook his head, focusing on the young pup turning. It's been only days since she's been taken, and she's proved to be a little spitfire. He personally didn't care for it, but his wolf seemed to actually _like_ the tot. His hackles rose as another wolf stepped too close to the girl. He let loose a deep, rumbling growl that had the wolves in the vicinity slink further back.

He watched her carefully, apathetic to the screams of agonizing pain. If she survived, she would bond with her beast so there was no pain. She would accept it. If she doesn't, her wolf would be weak. Just like that ridiculous pup he sired not that long ago. Worthless. Growls escaped the changing child. Her desperate cries falling on deaf ears. Cracking bones filled the silence that had settled over the Pack.

It felt like hours had passed when the girl finally completed the change. He slowly went to her, sniffing her new body. She was small. Larger than what the other children turned into, but still small. He nudged her with his nose and a small growl came from her. Fenrir felt his wolf take over. He clamped his teeth down over her throat, and bit down softly, earning a low whine. He let go and nudged her harder than Fenrir had. _'Get up.'_ Alpha watched apathetically as his pup struggled before managing to stand on all fours. He sat on his haunches and howled, feeling the pack bond surge through his veins when the rest of them howled along with him. The pup watched him carefully before instinct took over and she too joined the howl. A noticeable link formed between them, bonding her much more tightly to him than any of his other packmates.

' _We hunt!'_ Excitement filled the air as he took off, the rest following. He could feel the little one determined to keep up and felt pride warring with satisfaction. Fenrir could rage all he liked. He would decide who was pack and who was not. He let loose another howl, his pack following faithfully as he led the hunt.

xXx

Hermione gnawed on the bone gradually growing frustrated when it refused to break. She growled at it before throwing it to the side where the rest of her unbreakable bones were in the small cave she claimed. She heard a chuckle and immediately reached out through the bond, wrapping herself in the feelings of safety and comfort. She grinned wildly when Fenrir's hand came down on her head, leaning into the touch. He went to his knees, kneeling in front of her. Hermione raised her hands to his face, exploring the familiar planes. It was comforting. Contentment ran through them both.

It's been six years since he had snatched her from the muggles she was birthed from, marking her to be almost twelve. She was still of small stature, something the other wolves had tried to take advantage of. She didn't let them. Her muggle family were appalled when she fought back against the mean children who made fun of her. Her Pack encouraged it, liking when she bit and snarled at the ones who dared to say she wasn't worthy to be one of them.

Hermione preened when she felt the subtle shift of Alpha taking over. She instinctively bared her neck, showing her submissiveness. She ran her fingers through his hair. _'Come. It's time.'_ Hermione paused, while her own wolf inside whimpered softly. "Yes Alpha." She closed her eyes and gently pushed the magic languidly swirling inside her into doing what she wanted it to. Just how Fenrir taught her. She hid the pack bond under layers of her magic, feeling strangely muted from them. Fenrir said the werewolf she would be going with, would smell that she was a werewolf but wouldn't be able to tell from what Pack. He called the werewolf weak and soft. Hermione had asked why he was alive if he was weak, knowing as she did that weak wolves didn't last long in the Pack. He had only growled and shook his head, Hermione picking up on the Alpha's rage through the muted bond and didn't ask again.

Alpha gave way to Fenrir, who immediately hoisted her up on his shoulders, holding her securely. Hermione smiled brightly. "Do it just like we practiced little star." Hermione concentrated hard, her wolf helping with making the image clearer. She could feel Fenrir's own magic helping steer hers just the right way. They left the cave with a loud pop.

Fenrir gently removed Hermione from his shoulders when they arrived in the sparsely populated village. He kneeled in front of her, giving a lazy smile. Hermione felt flutters of panic starting up again. She didn't want to leave the Pack. They were her family. They were hers. Fenrir picked up on her panic and laid his hands gently on her shoulders. "You will be fine little star. The pack bond is still there. You will still be with us." Hermione whined, her amber eyes shining brightly. "Why am I the only one? There are two others with magic too. Why me?"

Fenrir stared evenly. "You know very well why you have to. Your link to us is strong. Much stronger than any other in the Pack. You are a werewolf Hermione, have no doubt. But you have strong magic. I despise _wizards_ – ", he spat the word viciously, "– but you still need to learn like them. You protect yourself, you protect the Pack." Hermione nodded, her stomach feeling like lead. She knew that. She did. She just didn't _want_ to live away from her Pack in favor of some weakling werewolf. Hermione shuffled her feet when she felt Alpha take over again, his bright golden eyes replacing Fenrir's own icy blue. He brought her into a hug where she took a deep breath, memorizing his scent, knowing he was doing the same _. 'Don't be weak little star. Do not disgrace your Pack.'_ Hermione nodded. Alpha cared about strength. She would have to excel in her magic studies. But she knew he wouldn't care even if she weren't the best. She was predominantly a werewolf. Not a witch. Wizard tricks would help protect her yes. But if it came down to it, her claws and teeth worked just as well.

He stood them, absently noting the way her eyes raked over him, imprinting his image and scent into her mind. He stroked her cheek lovingly, Hermione leaning into the touch. He stepped back and shifted, needing to leave soon to lead the pack here. He had made sure whispers went to the one he intended to attract, and he nudged Hermione. He growled softly at the one he privately considered his daughter. ' _Go_.' Hermione obeyed.

xXx

Remus threw up at the sight that laid before him. He had caught wind of a werewolf attack in the _Daily Prophet_ and was horrified to note it was near his home. He thought the aurors would at least clean up the village. His stomach rolled viciously with fear, when he saw the distinct bite of Fenrir Greyback, the most vicious werewolf alive.

He carefully didn't look at any more of the bodies as he searched the small village for any hint of werewolves still in the vicinity. He knew the auror department would no doubt have already checked but he knew they always ended up missing something. He swallowed nervously. He shouldn't even be here, he wasn't even a teenager yet. The boys would kill him if they found out.

There was a loud shuffling nose, and Remus's heart dropped to his stomach. He shakily raised his wand and slowly walked out of the torn-up house he had been in. He slowly walked to the side of it, and faintly heart crying. He kept his wand up though, only dropping it slightly when he noticed it was a girl. Remus blinked, face blank as he took in the fact she was bleeding, with tear tracks all on her face. He observed the way she held herself; arms wrapped around her middle, head bowed down, covering her throat. His eyes widened minutely when he realized she was covering her weak spots. He lowered his wand and cleared his throat, feeling extremely unsure of the situation. His heart skipped a beat when startling bright amber eyes met his. Just like… He gulped, hesitantly stepping forward.

"He-Hello. I'm Remus. Are… are you okay?" Remus felt highly uncomfortable when her eyes only seemed to train on him more intensely.

The discomfort cleared when the girl closed her eyes and leaned back against the wall. Remus let out the breath he had been holding and cautiously walked closer until he was almost directly in front of her. He felt… odd. There was something in him that urged him to reach out, that she was familiar, she was safety. He could smell she was a werewolf. Like him. He froze when a growl permeated the air. He watched her, eyes wide. Her amber eyes seemed to glow as they bore into his. He forced himself to look anywhere else but at her, feeling afraid. "I'm Hermione." His eyes shot to hers once more at hearing her speak.

Remus cleared his throat nervously as he sat on the ground. "Hello Hermione. Are you okay?" This time she nodded. Remus sighed in relief. "The blood… Is it yours?" He paused. "Did- did Greyback do this?" Her eyes did the strange glow again. "No it's not mine." He waited for her to answer the second question. When it became clear she wouldn't, he went to ask another when she smoothly interjected. "You're afraid of your wolf." He froze momentarily, before realizing she likely smelled it off of him like he had her. Remus gave a jerky nod, hands beginning to shake when he recognized he might have royally screwed up. He shouldn't have come here. He shouldn't have approached her after knowing she was a werewolf. "You're afraid of me." His eyes widened but this time she smiled. He absently noted her teeth were oddly enough straight, though her canines were definitely longer than even his.

He felt a strange push against his magic and looked down at himself confused. He looked back at Hermione and found a frown on her face. She raised her eyes, meeting his. She bared her teeth and Remus felt the strange urge to bare his back. He stamped it down as he's always done with his werewolf instincts and scrambled to get up, wiping his hands against his jean pants. "You're Pack." She stated, slowly standing up herself. Remus was surprised. Her frown grew. "Your wolf is weak, but you're Pack." Remus wasn't sure how he felt hearing that. He took a step back when she walked forward, earning a sneer. He looked down nervously, feeling small under her gaze.

"It's pathetic to be so afraid." Something in him wanted to rage at the comment, but Remus only looked away. He heard her sigh. "Remus." He glanced at her, and noticed she was gritting her teeth. "You're _Pack_. Don't be afraid." He raised an eyebrow at her continued emphasis on 'pack'. She had said it three times now. "Is that supposed to mean something?" He asked, genuinely curious. Hermione's face twisted in a fierce look of anger and Remus knew he should not have asked that. "Pack is _everything_." She growled at him. A growl escaped him before he could fight it down, surprising him when it seemed to calm her down. Hermione closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Remus watched her warily, not sure what was even happening.

"I… am lost to my pack right now. But _you_ are Pack which is confusing." She shook her head her rather impressive amount of hair bouncing when she did. She stared intensely at him. "I'm staying with you." She declared. Remus gaped at her. "You can't just- you can't stay with me!" He spluttered, his hands waving about for emphasis. "Why not?" She asked in a drawling tone. Remus groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "My parents would not let you." She raised an eyebrow and Remus had a sudden, heavy feeling of dread.

xXx

"Of course you can stay dear! That is quite sad to hear your family was killed in the attack on that village. I'm glad Lyall agreed to take you in." Hermione smiled softly at the woman, smelling the genuine concern underneath her smiling face. Remus looked down at his feet, refusing to look up lest he give away the game. His father had been terrified of the small girl smiling sweetly at his mother, knowing instantly what she was.

"Hermione… I'm not going to be here all the time. I go to a school called Hogwarts." Remus explained, the two sitting on his bed. It had taken nearly all day to get her cleaned properly, dirt and grime reluctant to part with her. She had effectively stolen all the extra blankets his parents had in the house and made herself a rather comfy looking 'bed'.

Hermione stared at him with a blank expression, her eyes looking too large for her thin face. Remus shuddered and continued. "If you aren't a witch or wizard, you can't go." She raised an eyebrow. "But I can do magic." He looked at her in confusion. "What –." He stopped and watched in astonishment when the pillows around him slowly lifted up. She was levitating them.

"You can do wandless magic?" Remus asked breathless, leaning forward in his excitement. Hermione's brows furrowed. "You can't?" She sounded about as confused as he felt. Remus shook his head. Hermione jerked back in shock. "But- but it's simple!" She exclaimed, sitting up straighter. Remus shook his head, grinning at her. "No. It's actually supposed to be some of the hardest ways to use magic." Hermione huffed at him, not believing it. She flopped backwards on the bed.

They sat in in companionable silence for a few moments. "You know… the full moon is in a few days." Hermione said softly, biting her lip. Remus stiffened. He watched her cautiously, not sure on where she was going with this. She huffed, turning on her side. "You're Pack Remus. It doesn't hurt as much when you're with Pack." Remus scoffed, stomping on the fledging flame of hope that lit at her statement. Her eyes narrowed as she sat up. "I'm serious Remus. You can't possibly find the pain bearable?" She asked in disbelief. Remus rolled his eyes. "There isn't a way. The pain is there because of werewolves being vile, unnatural creatures. It's their curse." He was numb to the words his father had frequently said, not thinking his son could hear him.

He regretted it immediately when her eyes shone brightly, hurt and anger plain on her face. She growled at him and went to her 'bed', pointedly not facing him. Remus kicked himself mentally. He knew she was a werewolf. A proud one too. She had talked reverently about her pack, and the bond all day. She had been amazed to find he was part of it. And then he had screw it up, not even thinking about how she would feel. That wasn't how he was. Remus was the one who thought things through and strictly avoided hurting others.

He sighed and got ready for bed himself. Maybe he could convince her to come to Hogwarts with him. Even if she wasn't a student. She could do magic. Pretty hard magic too. She could talk to Professor Dumbledore and he'd help her out, just like he helped Remus out. His eyes slowly began to droop as his thoughts stuttered to a stop. He fell into a deep sleep, waking up the next day somehow snuggled up to Hermione. He screamed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello! I really appreciate the reviews! I'm aware of the times Fenrir had actually joined Voldemort, but I'm totally fudging it up so it fits with what I want to do. I also started using the full moon charts of the year 1971 instead of 1972, but I already wrote a good majority of the chapter before I realized my mistake. Whoops. I totally didn't mean for Hermione to meet Regulus this early, but it happened. A lot of things happened in a way I wasn't expecting when writing this. Buuut anyways, I hope you enjoy! (P.S - This chapter is roughly 4500 words)**

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Hermione found it amusing when Remus skirted around her nervously throughout the day. She didn't know why he was so weird about waking up next to her. She didn't see what the big deal was. Packmates usually ended up laying with each other. When in stressful situations Pack normally sought each other out for comfort.

She rolled her eyes when he let out a girly 'eep' when he saw her in the kitchen, immediately turning back around. What a strange person he was.

xXx

Three days later the moon was slowly making its way up the sky. Hermione's body thrumming with excitement, anticipation heavy. Without the alpha she can't shift on her own so she was highly looking forward to this. She always loved the way it felt when her wolf came out. It made her feel whole, and utterly free.

xXx

Remus sucked in a sharp breath, bones cracking painfully, as the moon hung high. He worried for Hermione, knowing the agony of the shift, wondering where she was. His family expected her to join him down in the cellar, his father anxious and then furious when she hadn't showed. Remus was surprised she hadn't come back after leaving this afternoon, fully expecting her to attempt to 'help' with his shift into the werewolf. He didn't admit to himself he was disappointed she hadn't tried. Remus dropped to the ground screaming hoarsely when his spine realigned itself, taking in short bursts of air. His eyes glowed a bright golden, a howling snarl leaving his throat.

He loathed nights of the full moon.

xXx

Hermione rolled her eyes, exasperated. "Hold still you big baby." She dabbed gently at the wounds she could tell Remus had inflicted on himself. She had no idea why he seemed intent on hurting himself. Honestly, she had offered.

Remus let out a low groan of pain before sighing softly in relief. Hermione had presented a bowl full of this strange colored paste that was proving to work wonders. It stung badly when she first applied it but then just cool relief. "Where'd you go last night anyways? Dad expected you to join me in the cellar." Remus asked once she finished wrapping some gauze around a particularly nasty wound on his shoulder. It had been a rough night evidently. His entire body was sore, more so than usual. Hermione paused for a moment before she dipped her fingers back in the bowl. "We went on a hunt." She answered him quietly, subtly observing his reaction.

Fenrir had been correct in his observations when he told her the werewolf she would live with would be both soft and weak. Remus's wolf was indeed weak. But Remus himself didn't seem to be.

His eyes bugged out, heart dropping to his stomach as he shot into a sitting position. "We?" His voice nearly a whisper.

Hermione's surprised expression fell into a confused one, her brows furrowed before she realized what he assumed she meant. "Not you. Me. My wolf."

Remus sighed in relief, lying back down. His own brows furrowed. "Why do you refer to your wolf like it's a separate being? Isn't it just you?" Hermione gave him a curious look, her hands dropping to her lap.

"It's how it is. Have you never realized the difference?" Remus frowned, lost in thought. "No I haven't. Could you explain?" Hermione's eyes gleamed brightly. "Well. It's odd." She started softly. "When you first become a werewolf, there is very much two separate beings in the same body. As you get older, they begin to merge slowly until there is only one." She took a breath. "Neither of us are fully matured so there is a distinct difference in us and the wolf inside. The only werewolf I've heard of that that's not the case of, is Fenrir Greyback. I'm not entirely sure why he's different. But I know his wolf is an Alpha so that could be why…" She drifted off, chewing on her bottom lip as she thought.

Hermione shook her head and smiled ruefully at Remus. "Anyways, it's more like right now there's me. I have my own specific personality that makes me, me. Then there's the wolf. It doesn't have much of its own personality, it's more like what you'd expect from a normal wolf. It's mostly focused on protecting Pack. It wants family. To belong." Remus wanted to scoff at that, but refrained, recognizing he would deeply offend the girl in front of him.

"As we grow older, the wolf is slowly merging with us. So how we are now pretty much becomes ten times more. Because we have the instincts and senses of our wolf. I'm pretty sure it's done slowly so we get used to it gradually." Remus nodded at that, seeing the logic in it. Though he had a question. "So then why is it werewolves seem to go rabid in the full moon? By your logic, they should have their mind intact still." He was confused when Hermione only smiled sadly at him.

"That would be because they aren't part of a pack. They yearn to be accepted and have the comfort you'd expect from family. The aspects of the wolf take over, and all that's left is the urge to create its own pack." She slumped forward a little, her voice taking on a hesitant tone. "You know Remus, I'm almost entirely sure the reason you hurt yourself so much nights of the full moon is because you already have Pack and you just want to go to them." Alarm rose through him, but before he could protest, the door slammed open.

"That is the biggest load of codswallop I've ever heard _girl_." Remus jumped at his father's sneering tone, shocked he hadn't realized the man was there listening. Hermione was on her feet in an instant, anger plain on her face. "It's the truth!" His father stalked further into the room, disgust in his eyes. "Werewolves are nothing but vile abominations that deserve nothing more than death." Remus ignored the hurt that came with the familiar words as he struggled to get up, his body choosing now to disobey him. Hermione growled fiercely, her back rigid. Remus could see the metaphorical hackles raised, complete with the snarl on her face. "Your _son_ is one of those abominations you say deserve death." Lyall looked down his nose in contempt. "My son is kept safely in the cellar where he won't hurt anyone." Hermione gritted her teeth – eyes glowing bright as righteous anger filled her small body.

"Werewolves don't belong in a _cage_ like some monster!" She spat viciously.

Remus could see her wolf brimming at the surface and watched helplessly as she took deep breaths in an attempt to calm it. His father leaned down, bringing himself to eye level with Hermione. "Werewolves are monsters. You'd do well to remember that." He replied calmly, his entire demeanor closed off now. He straightened up, gave one last brief look of contempt, and leisurely strolled out of Remus's room. Hermione snarled viciously, her fists clenched tightly at her sides. Remus watched in alarm as blood dripped from her enclosed fists. "Hermione, you're bleeding!" She huffed as she slowly unclenched her fists and stared at her bloody palm blankly. Remus noticed her fingernails had grown longer.

Hermione stood there for a long moment, her eyes closed. She worked on bringing her heart rate to a normal level, carefully shoving her anger into a jar, and jamming a lid on it. She plopped on the bed next to Remus and stared blankly at the ceiling. She either didn't notice his squirming at the sight of her bloody hands, or just ignored it. "I hate how they treat us like we're less than they are." Remus privately agreed, though he said nothing at all. They fell into silence. Remus slowly fell asleep. Hermione glanced at him briefly, noticing the bags under his eyes. She sighed and got up to clean off the blood that was already beginning to dry, absently noting the wounds already closed. She wrapped a thin piece of gauze around it anyways, before joining Remus back on the bed. She made herself comfortable against him, absentmindedly pushing at the very thin, weak link between them. Remus was Pack. He deserved to know the joys of being a werewolf. Hermione sleepily noticed the link was more than it had been before, but still much less than the thinnest one she had with numerous members of her Pack. She sighed again, this time in contentment, the swirling magic of the bond caressing her senses as a mother would. She slowly fell into a deep sleep.

xXx

Fenrir's head snapped up suddenly, startling the already nervous wizard next to him. His eyes narrowed minutely, his wolf pacing. Exasperation bloomed in his chest as he realized what the feeling was. "Greyback? Are- are you okay?" Fenrir resisted the urge to growl at the wizard, settling on an icy glare. Satisfaction warred with disgust when the man stepped back, obviously frightened.

Fenrir looked back to the direction he felt the pull of the bond from, contemplative. It had something to with his little star, he was sure of it. He wouldn't have felt such a harsh reaction if his link with her hadn't been so strong. He glanced coolly at the wizard before looking away. His decision was made.

"The werewolves will not take part in your Lord's games."

He wondered what the pup was up to, messing with bonds like this, ignoring the angry spluttering that came out of the wizard's mouth. He was curious if she even knew she was doing it, interfering with pack bonds as she was. His wolf wasn't sure whether he wanted to tear into her for such insolence or be proud of his intended heir. Fenrir thought it was merely amusing. It seemed she declared Lupin to be her Pack.

Fenrir could feel her yearning to be with them, though he frowned when he felt Lupin's wolf trying and failing to connect. The idiot boy was refusing to allow it. "Greyback Lord Voldemort will not be happy to hear your answer. I highly advise you to –." A rumbling growl erupted from Fenrir's chest, cutting the wizard off. He bared his teeth in an impressive snarl. "Leave. Or you'll find my generosity swiftly depleting." The pathetic wizard let out an unmanly shriek, scrambling backward as he pulled out his wand. With one last fearful glare to Fenrir, he disapparated out.

Fenrir shifted immediately, letting loose a long howl, pulling on the muted link to his pup in an effort to send what comfort he could. He only hoped it would be enough. It was going to be a lonely full moon for her.

xXx

Hermione woke suddenly, grasping at her chest, her body nearly virbrating with energy. A slow smile creeped on her face, Fenrir's comforting magic lingering softly over her. They were still with her. Hermione looked to Remus, finding him still sleeping. Her wolf was close to the surface, as was his. Hermione frowned, hesitant in her choice. Her wolf sagged in disappointment but agreed with her line of thought. Hermione sighed, deeply put out. She gently shook Remus awake.

"Remus, the moon is almost up." Hermione watched curiously as his eyes opened comically wide at her statement, laughing when he fell on the floor in his scramble to get out of the bed. He groaned rubbing the back of his head. "Hermione." He whined. She giggled, rolling her eyes. "You didn't have to get up so fast you know." He stuck his tongue at her, making a face when she only grinned wider. "Whatever." He muttered childishly.

"Remus, Hermione. It's time to go dears." Both looked to the doorway when Hope's soft voice rang clear through the air. Hermione scrunched her nose, Remus looking resigned. The light feeling in the air was replaced with trepidation. Hope smiled gently – concern bleeding through her features. They had told her that Hermione was bitten in the attack, though Hermione could tell it bothered Remus to lie to his mother. Hermione breathed in deeply, feeling warm that Remus's mother was genuinely concerned for their well beings. Hermione followed the two out of the room and into the cellar, shying back at the thick bars reinforced by magic. Her wolf whimpered, Hermione's stomach rolling. She didn't like this. Not at all. Hermione glanced at her Remus's hopeful eyes and gave in almost immediately. He shouldn't have to do it alone. She was there so he didn't have to. Hermione swallowed her pride and followed him into the 'room'. She pleasantly noticed the thick stack of clean blankets in the corner of the room, which Hermione set to make into a large but crude bed. Much like the one in Remus's room. She shuddered, feeling her wolf's excitement to come out. "You have to go now." Hope nodded slowly, giving Remus one last kiss on his forehead before she walked out and shut the 'door', magic reinforcing the locks to an incredible degree as the woman left.

Hermione sat on the bed patiently waiting, watching as Remus paced in front of her back and forth. She noted amusedly he was half clothed and raised an eyebrow at that, though he didn't notice. Hermione groaned softly as the initial discomfort gave way instantly to near euphoria. She fell to her hands and knees as her wolf eagerly took over. Hermione sighed in contentment, wrapping herself in the feelings of being complete.

Remus stared unabashedly as he watched Hermione change almost gracefully. He was stunned. She had been telling the truth it seemed, when she told him it could be painless. Remus groaned loudly, dropping to his knees as loud cracks rang through the air. He panted heavily, his breath catching when his spine contorted in painful ways, screams of agony escaping his body. He absently noticed Hermione's form looked rather like a normal wolf the same color as her hair. That was the last thing he remembered before he blacked out completely.

xXx

The two wolves played with each other all throughout the night, only stopping when exhausted. They made their way to the crude bed Hermione made earlier, carefully grooming the other before curling up together. The pack bond Hermione had pushed for earlier in the day much stronger now.

xXx

The days following the full moon had Remus and Hermione oddly in tune with one another. It was strange watching them. They seemed to know what the other was feeling, and would adjust accordingly, not even realizing they were doing it. It took Hope pointing it out, that had them staring at each other in surprise. Hermione found herself feeling at home throughout the month of July, having arrived sometime between the first and the fifth, according to Hope. Lyall had taken to pretending she wasn't there which was fine by Hermione but caused strain between Remus and his father.

It was nearing the end of the month, when Hermione's letter came. "Hermione! Hermione you got a Hogwarts letter!" Remus shouted as he came running into the living room. Hermione slowly looked up from the text on werewolves, surprised but pleased. They had expected her to receive a letter regardless that she was a werewolf, but it was a surprise that it arrived here. She figured it would arrive at her biological parents' home. Remus grinned brightly. "Well! Open it!" Hermione rolled her eyes, but beamed at him as she rose to her feet and grabbed the letter. A small shred of doubt wriggled its way up. She swallowed, mentally berating herself for being so hesitant. She ripped the envelope open and stared at the words written.

"Children? What in the world are you making a fuss about?" Hope came into the room, exasperation on her face. Remus grinned brightly, while Hermione gave her a shy smile. "I got my Hogwarts letter. I wasn't expecting it, but I did." She flushed when the woman gave her a tight hug, her body slowly relaxing as she awkwardly patted Hope on the back. Hermione wasn't used to being touched by someone who wasn't Pack, and the difference was distinct enough it unnerved her every time Hope hugged her.

The woman drew back, beaming at her. "Of course we will pay for your schooling dear, it's not too much. I'm sure a talk with the Headmaster will see you with Remus in his special accommodations." Hope mused brightly as she began walking out the door. Hermione felt panicked. "W-wait!" She winced at the hesitation and clear panic in her voice. Hope turned back around, concerned. Hermione sucked in a breath, grasping her arm, ignoring Remus's strange expression at her behavior. "Um- could we go and get what I need now? I'm afraid I don't know much of the wizarding world at all, and I would like to get ahead if possible." Hermione's heart pounded. She truly didn't know anything about wizards and witches. Fenrir raised her as Pack, away from the rest of the world. She would be alone in this.

Hope's face softened. "Yes of course dear. Remus? You'll have to come with love. I'll write a note for your father and we'll go." Hermione smiled weakly as Hope walked away. She immediately dropped to the seat and groaned, her face in her hands. Remus plopped down next to her. "Why are you so freaked out? It's exciting isn't it?" Hermione made an odd noise, leaning back to stare anxiously at her friend. "I don't know anything about Hogwarts. I won't know anyone there. It's more frightening than exciting. I- I've never been away from my… family for long amounts of time." Her heart twisted in pain as she closed her eyes. She longed to be with them again. She opened her eyes when she felt Remus get up and was surprised when he kneeled in front of her, his eyes hard. "You have me. Now come on. We have to get dressed." Warmth unfurled at his simple statement, a smile playing on her lips. She grinned at him, taking his hand. Perhaps she wouldn't be quite so alone.

xXx

September 1st came around faster than Hermione expected, her body a bundle of nerves. Remus was practically jumping up and down with excitement. Hope was the one to take them to the station, neither of the two children making a comment about Lyall's absence.

"You two be good, alright? Do well in your classes. Hermione love, I expect you to write me as much as Remus does. You're effectively part of this family now." Hermione was stunned, tears coming to her eyes. She ran into Hope's arms, having gotten much closer to the kind woman. She nodded frantically, willing the tears away. She felt Remus join in on the hug. "Now now, off you go. Be safe loves." Hope fretted. The two nodded at the woman, taking their luggage and crossing the barrier to platform 9 ¾. Hermione took a deep breath, steadying herself before following Remus to put her luggage up. They got on the train with Remus picking the first compartment that was empty.

Hermione slumped in her seat, watching out the window as countless families said their goodbyes to their children. She grasped the piece of wood that was her wand tightly. Her heart continued to race as she listened to the countless students boarding the train. "Hermione? You look panicked." Remus's voice cut through the haze that was enveloping her, and she straightened up. "I'm sorry. All of this- it's a lot to take in." She said quietly. Remus watched her carefully, moving to sit next to her. She immediately curled up, laying her head in his lap. Remus had found it comforted her.

The two stayed like that, Hermione eventually falling asleep. Remus stared at her with worry as he ran his fingers through her hair. He was used to her being bossy and strong but since she got her letter she's been acting skittish. It was odd. When they went to get her supplies he was used as a buffer. She hid behind him nearly the entire time which was strange since she was always stronger than he was.

Remus was brought from his musings when the compartment door slid open. "Remus, darling!" Hermione jerked awake in his lap, staring balefully at the intruders. Remus palmed his face, fighting the smile that rose. "Sirius. James. Where's Peter?" He asked, still playing with Hermione's hair. She was still glaring at the boys that woke her. "I'm right here Remus." He heard from behind James and Sirius.

"Oh ho! You've got a girl in your lap Remus do you know that?" Remus rolled his eyes at James. "This is Hermione. Hermione these are my friends James, Sirius, and Peter." Hermione said nothing. Remus frowned when he felt her stiffen up. The three boys came in the compartment, shutting the door before plopping down on the seat across from him.

"Well hello there Hermione. Is this your first year going to Hogwarts?" Sirius asked curiously. Remus eyed his friend curiously. Sirius didn't normally make idle chat.

"Yes it's her first year. She's pretty new to the wizarding world in general." Remus said defensively, when it became clear Hermione wasn't going to speak. 'Ahhs' filled the compartment. "Muggle-born then? Why is she with you Remus?" James asked, sounding rather like a snob now that he realized she wasn't like them.

"Her family died in a raid on a village, so my mother agreed to take her in." Silence filled the compartment at that.

xXx

Hermione took in the sight of the castle, awe filling her. She had been afraid at first, when she realized Remus wasn't going to be with her, but Sirius had practically shoved his younger sibling Regulus at her. "You two are both firsties so ride together." The raven-haired boy had smiled at her, looking shy and she returned it, not sure how to go about making a friend.

Hermione grasped his hand tightly, fear shooting through her when the boat rocked. She dropped it almost immediately once she realized what she did. "I- I'm sorry. I'm not much of a fan of water." His surprised look melted into a warm smile. He seemed to hesitate for a moment before he grabbed her hand. "I don't like water much either, but Sirius would never let it go if he heard I freaked out on the boats." Hermione smiled brightly at him, her fears vanishing.

Regulus helped her off the boat when they hit land and kept close to her when the group of first years followed the game-keeper. She gripped his hand tightly when a rather stern looking woman opened the doors, casting an appraising eye over the large group. "Come along now. The start of term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The - ". Hermione tuned her out, having already heard it from Remus when he had been telling her what to expect. She looked around curiously at the room they were brought into.

Regulus tugged her along when it became clear she wasn't paying attention. She saw the enchanted ceiling she read about in Hogwarts: A History but said nothing. She nearly ran into Regulus when the group stopped. He gave her a small smile before turning back to the stern-faced woman, McGonagall, Hermione remembered. She ignored the Headmaster's small speech, looking for Remus. When she found him she waved, smiling when he waved back. "When I call your names, you will come forth, you will place this hat on your head, and you will be sorted into your houses." She paused. "Regulus Black." Hermione clenched his hand before releasing it, hearing his shaky breath. He walked calmly to the stool and McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on his head. It took a long minute before it shouted, "Slytherin!" Hermione clapped loudly, Regulus giving her a tight smile.

It wasn't long till Hermione was called up. She walked up, reigning in her emotions, as the Hat came down over her head. It took but a moment. "Gryffindor!"

Relief flooded through her that she'd be joining Remus's house, though she was slightly disappointed she wouldn't be with Regulus. Seeing his own look of disappointment, she promised herself to still try to be friends. She joined Remus and his friends, sitting between him and Sirius. Her head cocked to the side, hearing the silver-eyed boy bragging about how it took the Hat a minute to sort his brother into Slytherin. Remus caught her look and quietly explained. "Sirius and Regulus are a part of a really important family in the wizarding world. They were always sorted into Slytherin until Sirius was put in Gryffindor." Hermione eyed Black carefully. Fenrir wouldn't want her too close to him. He told her about the wizarding families and the House of Black was one of the most influential. She shouldn't get caught up in the families like that. "He's bragging because Regulus wasn't immediately sorted into Slytherin, like you were Gryffindor. It means he's not strictly of the Slytherin mindset." Hermione hummed thoughtfully.

"He was nice to me, even though Sirius had shoved him at me. He – held my hand when he realized I was scared on the boats." Hermione said quietly. Sirius seemed to have heard her though. "Reggie held your hand?!" She was taken back by his obvious surprise. "He was being nice."

Sirius started laughing. "Little Reggie is a pureblood. He doesn't hold people's hands." Hermione frowned at him, irritated he thought she was lying. Remus frowned at his friend as well. "No need to be a prat about it Sirius." Hermione found she wasn't liking Sirius nearly as much as she liked his brother. Even on the train he acted rude when her status was brought up. Him and James. They didn't seem to bother Remus about it, since he was a half-blood. Sirius rolled his eyes. "Well it's true. Just because your family took in a stray, doesn't mean she's like us. I was more expecting Regulus to embarrass her, not make nice." Anger flared up. Hermione stood up, and punched Sirius in the face, before marching over to where Regulus sat. She ignored the hush that seemed to settle over the Hall as she plopped down next to the startled boy.

"Your brother is an ass." Hermione huffed. She glared fiercely at the Slytherins who started making protests at her sitting with them, shutting them up instantly. Regulus let out a startled laugh, staring at her incredulously. "You just punched Sirius in the face." She huffed again, her anger dimming a bit. She supposed it was a bit rude of her. "He was being a major prat." Regulus smirked. "He's always a prat."


	3. Chapter 3

**Hellooo! I've probably rewritten this chapter at least 3 or 4 different times. It was incredibly frustrating, but I'll just stick to this.**

 **Regarding pairings! There won't be any relationships until at least 3rd or 4th year as that's when hormones start kicking in, but I'm not entirely sure who I want with who. It really just depends on the direction the story goes. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Hermione refused to allow herself to fidget under the weight of the Headmaster's stare, feeling more than wary about the seemingly endless pool of magic that was in him.

After the incident in the Great Hall, both Dumbledore and McGonagall had practically plucked her from the Slytherin table and told her she would be going to the Headmaster's office once dinner was done. Hermione couldn't exactly refuse them. They walked to his office slowly, Hermione taking in the sights, awed by the sheer amount of magic that imbued the very walls of the castle. She couldn't see it, but she could feel and almost taste it. It was odd really. Fenrir said werewolves couldn't normally feel the magic as closely as she could. Hermione took it to be another perk she had.

She memorized the way they were going, not liking much the smell of the Headmaster. He wasn't… genuine. McGonagall smelled odd, though Hermione most definitely would prefer her over Dumbledore. They reached an odd-looking entrance, that had a stone gargoyle. She heard Dumbledore cheerily say, "Sherbet lemon drops", and nearly jumped back in surprise when the gargoyle actually moved. It took a moment but when they entered the office, Hermione couldn't help but stare. All around were portraits of different people, a massive library spanning the walls, and a lone desk in front of the half circular staircases. There was a perch next to it, empty.

Hermione raised her chin defiantly, looking past the old man as he settled in his seat behind the desk. She felt an odd urge to avoid looking him in the eyes, which bothered her greatly as the Alpha was the only one she felt such an urge for. She wanted to scoff at the thought of the Headmaster being stronger than the Alpha but knew it to be true. She could feel the magic calmly radiating off him and noted it was stronger than earlier.

"I'm not going to apologize, if that's what you're expecting." She stated quietly, her voice cold.

McGonagall started, her mouth open as she started to lecture the young woman. "Now listen here –." Dumbledore raised a hand stopping her mid-sentence.

"I assume you have a reason for – punching young Black then?" Hermione bristled at the amused tone, wanting to snarl at him but refrained. She can't lose her temper on the Headmaster. Hermione thought Hope would be quite cross with her, nevermind how disappointed the Pack would be. She took a deep breath, crossing her arms as she sneered at him. "He was being beyond rude to me. Calling me a stray Remus and his family picked up, implying I'm lesser than shite for being muggle-born." A sharp gasp left the severe looking McGonagall, a scandalized expression on her face.

Hermione didn't actually care she was muggle-born. It was Sirius calling her nothing but a stray who was somehow less than him that angered her so much. He had no knowledge of her werewolf nature, but it stung. Much more than she had expected.

The Headmaster cleared his throat, leaning back in his chair. "Ah yes. Mrs. Lupin had informed before your arrival here, that you were bitten in the attack sometime early July." Hermione stiffened considerably. She knew the Headmaster was told. She hadn't expected he would bring it up now. "I offer my condolences of course Miss Granger. I can't imagine how it must be to lose your family in the horrid werewolf attacks." Dumbledore gave her a gentle smile.

Hermione wanted to rip it off his face. He was a fake. He didn't care about her. She could smell the lies. He was a conniving, deceitful old man. Hermione sniffed delicately, turning her head away more noticeably. "For that reason alone, I am willing to let you off with a warning. We do not fight with other students Miss Granger, physically nor magically." Hermione nodded stiffly, her jaw clenched. She didn't care for the condescending tone but could do nothing about it. McGonagall made a noise of protest but said not a word.

"As you are another young werewolf, you will be joining Mr. Lupin in the Shrieking Shack on nights of the full moon." Hermione inhaled deeply, her eyes flashing. Yet another cage. "Yes _sir_."

She really wished she had been able to stay with her family.

xXx

Hermione was left at the portrait by a fuming transfiguration professor. She had received another lecture once they were out of the Headmaster's office about the importance of respect and propriety. Hermione found it rather annoying. The furious McGonagall had given her one last warning about fighting other students, before she informed her of the password and left her there. Hermione rolled her eyes. She could easily just wander off, honestly. The professor didn't even make sure she went in.

When she entered the common room, her nose twitched at the variety of smells. "Hermione!" Remus jumped from his seat, worry on his face. Hermione smiled wryly at him, her earlier irritation fading as a heaviness settled on her shoulders. "Hello Remus."

He scowled at her lightheartedness, snatching her arm, and dragging her to the large couch next to a fireplace. "Don't act so nonchalantly Hermione. Are you alright? You didn't get in too much trouble, did you?" Hermione huffed even as she leaned against him. "I'm not in trouble no. Dumbledore figured it was me acting out since my family died in the attacks. McGonagall is pretty angry with me though. She didn't seem to approve of my methods of handling the situation." She felt Remus sigh, resting his head against hers. It was comforting.

"I'm sorry he said those things to you. It was rude and completely out of hand. I already talked to him about it." More like shouted at him, thoroughly shocking his friends as he's always been rather quiet and agreeable. "I really hadn't expected you to punch him. Is your hand okay? I heard something break." Hermione grinned, lifting her bruised hand. She had hit Sirius hard.

"My hand is perfectly fine minus some bruising. It's Sirius's nose that broke." Remus rolled his eyes at her overly pleased tone. "You may be proud of your actions, but I've been stuck listening to him whine and complain ever since you stormed to the Slytherin table." Hermione snorted.

"His brother found it more amusing than anything. He's always getting in trouble at home apparently, so Regulus wasn't surprised to see him still causing trouble." Hermione moved, placing her head in Remus's lap, his hand coming up to play with her hair. "Well I'm pretty sure he regrets shoving his brother at you now. He wasn't expecting Regulus to be nice to you." Hermione could hear the scowl in Remus's voice.

She wanted to feel smug that he was so upset on her behalf, but she had watched him interact with Sirius and the other boys. He considered them brothers. And no matter how much she didn't like the silver-eyed Black, she wasn't going to take him away from Remus.

Hermione sighed softly when Remus spoke again, his voice much softer and quieter. "Sirius comes from a pureblood family, as you know. He was raised to believe those not having magical parents or families as those who are worthless themselves." She felt an odd pang in her chest but said nothing. "Me and Peter have been working on helping both Sirius and James to see that's not really true. You can do wandless magic! You can't possibly be less than him as he can't even do that. Just… Give him time. Please." Hermione knew it meant a lot to Remus, so she merely nodded her assent, promising herself that she would attempt to avoid his friends until they got their heads removed from their bums. Remus let out a relieved sigh.

Hermione laid there, and just watched the fire, pangs of loneliness hitting her. She could feel the muted bond between her and Remus, but it wasn't enough. She wanted her family back. She wanted her Pack.

xXx

"Wow Hermione, you are absolutely dreadful at this." Hermione rolled her eyes at the comment but said nothing in response. It was transfiguration and she was having some trouble getting the magic to work properly. The class was split Gryffindor and Slytherin, thus Regulus seated himself next to her in the back of the class. She huffed, annoyed when she repeated the spell and nothing happened. She would feel repeat the incantation and motions, feel her magic swirl up to obey, but then it just dies out. Hermione growled under her breath, dropping her wand on the table, and looking over the book again. She was doing everything _exactly_ as it said to. This was their first day of using magic and she was already incredibly frustrated.

Regulus shook his head. "Reading the book again and again isn't going to make you better at this." Hermione growled again, slamming the book down, garnering some attention. She glared at them before glaring at the boy next to her. "I'm doing it _right_. It just keeps dying when I release it." Regulus gave her an odd look. "It keeps dying? What do you mean dying?" Hermione took a deep breath, leaning back in her chair, looking at the ceiling in irritation.

"I can feel my magic swirling inside but it just. It stops. Right when it's bout to release, it just stops and dies. I don't know how else to describe it." She chewed on her lip, wishing she could talk to Fenrir. He knew how to use a wand, though he rarely did.

Regulus gave her a contemplative look. He cleared his throat and faced her more fully. "I want you to do it again, but slowly." Hermione eyed him but grabbed her wand and did as he said.

The results were the same which frustrated her to no end but seemed to make sense to Regulus. He nodded slowly. "Well? What is it?" He raised an eyebrow at her impatience, but answered nonetheless. "I'm not entirely sure, since I can't see your magic. But I believe you are preventing yourself from performing the spell." Hermione stared at him blankly. "Is that right?" She deadpanned. Regulus shrugged minutely. "My first guess is you learned it differently which is what's interfering now, but you're a muggle-born so that wouldn't be it." Hermione chewed her lip. That made sense actually…

Regulus went to continue what he thought might be the issue, but Hermione stopped him. "Actually I was practicing with Remus when I first got my wand." She lied. She knew how to do it wandlessly as it was a different process. If she could put that into practice now… Hermione straightened up, grasping her wand loosely but firm. She repeated the incantation and movement, felt the swirl of magic rising up, but instead of letting it go like the book said to, she pushed the rest of the magic out of her hand and into the wand.

A perfect snuffbox laid in front of her, complete with little swirling designs.

Regulus's eyes widened slightly in surprise. Hermione squealed, delighted to have finally done it. "Well done Miss Granger. 10 points to Gryffindor." Hermione's eyes widened slightly in surprise, but she smiled in acknowledgement. Professor McGonagall was finally getting over her grudge it seemed. Ever since she was disrespectful towards the Headmaster last week, McGonagall hadn't cared for her much. It seemed to no longer be an issue.

Regulus scowled as the professor walked away. "I take it she's stopped acting so childish."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "It's quite alright Regulus. It didn't bother me much in the first place, it didn't last long." Granted it was rather annoying, though Hermione admired the way the stern witch took Sirius to task once she was told what it was the boy had said.

Regulus gave her a dubious look but said nothing else on the matter. Hermione grinned, elbowing him in the side. "Relax alright? She's not acting much different, just stopped being as hard on me as she had been." She really didn't care honestly. Fenrir was ten times worse when doling out a punishment. Regulus rolled his eyes. "I'll take your word for it. Still don't like it."

Hermione shrugged. She appreciated the sentiment, it just wasn't needed. They continued practicing, working on getting more detailed designs. So far, Regulus was much better at it than she was. He thankfully didn't lord it over her.

xXx

Regulus smiled slightly at his friend's delight. They were in the library, and Hermione was in an incredibly good mood. "Regulus, look! Isn't it just beautiful?" She gushed, holding a wooden carving of a wolf in her hands. He had quickly discovered Hermione's favorite thing was wolves. She had gotten it in the mail this morning, and Regulus could feel magic saturating it, which seemed to comfort his curly haired friend. They went to the library almost immediately after breakfast.

"Yes it's wonderfully designed. Who sent it to you?" He asked, curious. As far as he knew, she had lost her family a few months before term started. A sorrowful expression donned her face at his question. "An old friend." Regulus hmm'ed thoughtfully, regretting having asked. He was still undeniably curious, but it appeared Hermione wasn't going to share more. "Maybe you should try wood carving. It'd be a healthy outlet for all that anger you seem to hold." Regulus teased lightly, half serious.

She really did have anger issues, that much Regulus found out very quickly. She often got frustrated when spells didn't work immediately, and she was rather overprotective of himself, and Remus, though the latter seemed to be avoiding her. It was amusing at times, though with her being such a hot-head, things escalated a lot. There were a few times, Regulus would swear her eyes actually glowed. It was always when she was extremely angry.

Hermione rolled her eyes at him, though she frowned thoughtfully as she stared at the wooden wolf. "Do you think I'd be any good at it?"

Regulus shrugged, ignoring the small pureblood part of his mind that screamed it wasn't proper. "You never really know until you try it Hermione. Maybe you're excellent at it." He smirked when her eyes lit up in determination.

It was funny, really. A majority of their fellow first years were afraid of his friend, due to her anger. They never really stuck around to see how pleasant she actually was when not pissed off. It's only been two weeks too.

"I wanna go now. Do you know where we could find some wood I can use?" Hermione asked, already putting her books and such in her bag. Regulus huffed in a playful manner, as he rose and did the same. "I believe the Gamekeeper would know. My brother said he was rather new to the job but is very pleasant to students." Regulus shouldered Hermione's bag along with his, as it was the polite thing to do. She rolled her eyes at him but let him be, knowing he wouldn't listen.

"Alright then, let's go to the Gamekeeper. Do you think he'd give me something to carve the wood with too?" Hermione asked him, moving her hands about in excitement. Regulus laughed a little at her enthusiasm. "Maybe. We'll just have to ask him." Hermione grinned, grabbing his hand to make him walk faster. "Come on then!"

He grumbled good-naturedly, allowing himself to be practically dragged. Hermione stopped suddenly, giving him a sheepish smile. "Um. I don't actually know where the Gamekeeper would be. Do you?" He rolled his eyes, smirking at her. She stuck her tongue out at him. "Come on, we mustn't dally." She laughed at his pompous tone but grasped his hand tightly, bowing in an exaggerated manner. "Of course not my good sir."

xXx

Lily Evans was on a mission.

She had heard about Hermione Granger, the first year who actually punched Sirius Black. It was all anyone could really talk about for the first few days of term. Sirius was popular for a second year, and for what ever reason, physically hitting someone was branded as such a muggle thing to do! Lily didn't really get it, to her it was just fighting. But apparently, hitting Sirius Black physically was a serious big no in the wizarding world.

Lily rolled her eyes. Honestly, she would have punched him too if he had said that to her! Lily just wanted to speak to Hermione and see if maybe they could be friends. Lily had friends of her own of course, it was just that she couldn't help but notice that Hermione only really hung out with Remus and Regulus Black. It's already been two weeks since term has started, and Lily felt bad for Hermione. She had heard about what happened to the girl's family, and that Remus's family took her in. It made sense for her to stick close to him. But she was a _girl_ , and she needed some girl-friends.

"Lily you're going to leave a bruise if you tighten your hand any more." Lily snapped out of her musings at the sound of her best friend's deadpan tone.

"Severus! You should have said something before." She scolded him lightly, letting go of his wrist and grabbing his hand instead. He hadn't wanted to go looking for the first year, so Lily resorted to dragging him along with her. "I did. You weren't listening." Severus replied, an eyebrow raised. Lily stuck her tongue at him, receiving rolled eyes and a smirk.

"Come on, I want to find her before dinner." Severus sighed in resignation, knowing Lily wouldn't change her mind about just relaxing by the lake. "Alright. Just stop yanking on me so much, I'm not a dog you know." Severus snarked. In response, Lily tugged as hard as she could. "Lily!" She laughed.

xXx

Hermione hummed happily, a small bag resting against her hip, full of small wood pieces Hagrid, the Gamekeeper, had given her. He was actually really pleasant, if a bit nervous at first. He hasn't been Gamekeeper for long, only a few years. Her and Regulus spent most of their Saturday afternoon with him, just talking. Hermione found herself liking the man greatly, agreeing to meet with him again the next day. Regulus had been wary at first, as Hagrid was a half-giant, standing at about 3 meters tall. It didn't long at all for them to discover the man was really a big softy.

Hagrid had been more than happy to chop up some wood pieces for her to use once he learned the reason of their visit. He even gave her a small knife meant for 'whittling' which Hermione assumed meant the same as carving wood. Both her and Regulus had started attempting one already at Hagrid's hut, and Hermione decided she would make one for Remus as a gift even though he still wasn't talking to her. They were there for at least three hours or longer.

She had found it really calming actually, which surprised her. Granted, Regulus had suggested it would half-jokingly, but she hadn't expected it to. She found the stress that had been developing due to the sheer number of strangers, wash away the more she carved.

Hermione fingered the small wooden wolf stashed away in her robe pocket, smiling and waving goodbye to Hagrid as they left. It was a gift from Fenrir, bits of his magic imbedded into it. He must've felt her distress the night of the full moon. Remus had gotten angry with her something she had said about Sirius, and she had roamed the Forbidden Forest instead of staying with him. It had been unexpectedly upsetting, her wolf wanted to near his, having considered him Pack. It was depressed and distressed throughout the entire night.

"Hermione?" She startled, turning to Regulus at the sound of her name. He looked concerned. "Are you alright?" Hermione frowned. "Yes, why wouldn't I be?"

His face cleared, an eyebrow raised. "You're crying." Hermione jerked her head back, wiping away at her eyes and feeling the moisture on her fingers. She frowned at it, having not even noticed she was getting more and more upset at her thoughts. She shook her head, wiping harder at her eyes and face with her sleeve. "I'm fine, just got lost in thought is all." Hermione brushed it off. She heard him make an odd noise, but he said nothing else on the matter for which she was grateful. They continued walking back towards the castle in silence.

"Granger!"

"Granger!"

"Granger!"

"Hermione stop ignoring the girl." She was pulled to a stop by Regulus who gave her a stern look when she rolled her eyes. She hadn't responded to the calls for a reason. A short, redheaded girl with brilliant green eyes ran up to her, panting heavily. A slightly taller raven-haired boy quickly caught up.

"Well – hello there. Sorry – bout that. Shouting I mean." The girl breathed out, bending over with her hands on her knees. She must've ran quite a bit to be breathing so hard. Hermione stared blankly at her, not really wanting to know why the girl wanted her. She smelled odd – almost like a field of flowers.

Regulus gave a slight nod to the boy that saddled up next to the redhead. Hermione noted he was another Slytherin. The redhead straightened up, her breathing much calmer than before. She jerked her hand forward. "Hello there! I'm Lily Evans, and this is Severus Snape." Hermione eyed the hand curiously, giving Lily an odd look. She nodded her head slightly as Regulus had taught her was the polite way of greeting someone you didn't know. "Hello. I'm Hermione Granger, though you seem to know that already." She noticed Lily slumped slightly when she hadn't taken her hand but didn't comment on it. The redhead forced a smile on her face, though Hermione could smell the girl's hurt at being rejected. Hermione's brows furrowed. She hadn't rejected anything. She said her hello's just as Regulus had showed her.

"I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings Lily. I'm not sure what I did." Hermione offered, having been told by Hagrid earlier that it makes people feel better when you apologize if you hurt their feelings. She thought it was weird, never really having to do so before, since Pack could always tell if you were remorseful or not.

Lily's smile dropped a little, before she regarded Hermione curiously. "Oh um. You didn't really hurt my feelings. I just… You shake hands with people you meet for the first time. It's a greeting." Hermione let out a long sigh, side-eying Regulus who shrugged minutely – his posture much stiffer in present company – before continuing his small chat with Severus. Hermione huffed, realizing he hadn't known it was a greeting either. "I wasn't aware of that. Regulus has been teaching me how to properly greet other witches and wizards since I'm muggleborn and wouldn't know." Her eyes widened almost comically when Lily squealed in delight.

"You're a muggleborn too?! So am I!" Hermione stepped back immediately when the girl appeared to want to hug her all of a sudden. She still wasn't comfortable with random people hugging her. Hermione eyed her warily, watching as the redhead wasn't even fazed by her avoiding the hug. "But why don't you know what a handshake is, if you're muggleborn?" Lily asked, oddly calm again. Hermione inwardly groaned, already tired of talking to her. The girl's emotions changed so fast, it was disconcerting to Hermione's nose.

"I wasn't raised around other people. It was just me and my family."

She wanted to take it back instantly, Lily's face suddenly full of pity. Hermione gritted her teeth, feeling irritated with the bubbly girl now. "It was nice to meet you Miss Evans, have a good day. Snape." Regulus politely inclined his head, taking Hermione's arm and dragging her away. Hermione rolled her eyes, annoyed with herself for getting angry again so quickly. She glanced back to see Lily watching them walk away with an odd look.

"You were about to lose your cool again Hermione." Regulus stated nonchalantly after they walked for a good minute. Hermione shook her head, the need to get away rushing through her. She abruptly turned around, staring steadily at the forest line.

"I need to clear my head. I'll see you later Regulus." She turned around and began making her way towards the Forbidden Forest, ignoring Regulus calling her name. He wouldn't follow her, too respectful of her wishes. She had worn him down well enough he didn't act so uptight though he reverted back to his pureblood manners when they had company. She had still hoped… Hermione growled at herself, shaking her head again.

She was here to learn magic. To learn how to protect herself better, in lieu of bettering the Pack. She couldn't afford getting too attached. She would leave this part of the wizarding world and not come back.

Hermione didn't hesitate to enter the forest, feeling calmer with the vast amounts of earth magic that surrounded it. She sighed as she walked in deeper, trusting her nose to lead her out when she needed to. She eventually stumbled upon a fallen tree, the trunk large and hollowed out. It was nearly as tall as she was. Earlier frustration was chased away by curiosity as she approached the trunk. It was old, that was certain. She laid a small hand on it, breathing in deeply and sighing in contentment as the strong scent of yew tree washed over her senses. She patted the trunk absentmindedly, welcoming the familiar magic that brushed over her. Hermione sat on the ground, grabbing the piece of wood she had started working on for Remus. She stared at it a moment before grabbing the whittling knife Hagrid had given her and started carving.

It was a while before she finished. She was quite proud of herself. It wasn't nearly as nicely done as her own wooden wolf, but it was nice enough. Even if Remus wasn't fond of his wolf now, he would be eventually.

Hermione carefully put it away in the pouch with the rest of the wood pieces, wrapping the knife up in the odd cloth that Hagrid said was necessary for it. She placed that too in the pouch, and stood up, brushing off the shavings from her robes. She breathed in deeply. Hermione adored the smell of outdoors, having been in it constantly as she grew up. It reminded her of home.

She walked out of the forest, contemplating. She could feel the presences around her, but they never revealed themselves which made her slightly disappointed. Fenrir had never let the pack anywhere near centaurs and Hermione was desperately curious as to why. She shook her head roughly, pangs of loneliness hitting her. She forced a smile to her face, feeling better now due to the earth magic, but still upset.

Her birthday passed without much fanfare. It was one of the few things she remembered clearly from before Fenrir had taken her. She didn't tell anyone about it, though she mentioned it off-handedly to Hope when the woman was talking about Remus's. Hermione received a card, and a box of chocolates from her, but that was all. She had been avoiding Regulus as well, managing it all the way up to curfew. She just knew he'd confront her about it the next day at classes though.

She was right.

"Hermione. Where -." He was interrupted by McGonagall starting the class. Hermione said nothing, making sure to put as much space between them as possible. Class continued, the air between the two charged with tension. Hermione attempted to make a swift exit when it ended, but Regulus grabbed her arm as soon as she left the classroom. He pulled her to the side ignoring her glaring at him. She yanked her arm out of his grasp, looking away at his concerned face. "Hermione, what is going on? Did I do something to upset you?" He sounded upset, making Hermione feel guilty. She shook her head no and took off without listening to the rest of what he had to say.

She couldn't get close, she reminded herself. She couldn't get close.

The next two weeks were absolutely miserable for Hermione. Lily was determined to talk to her and be friends, and Hermione hated it. She couldn't be friends. She had her own family to think about. She had duties to them first.

Remus eventually cornered her in the Gryffindor common room, after breakfast. "Hey, are you okay?" She didn't want to answer him, didn't want to bother. Their bond was fragile at best, and Hermione had to remind herself that it was his fault. No matter how much she wished it, he would never truly be her Pack. Not when he already had one.

Hermione nodded sharply, picking up her bag and pouch, the wolf carving she finished for Remus still there. She ducked her head down, heading for the portrait. Remus stepped in front of her, blocking the way, his hazel eyes boring into her. Hermione raised her head defiantly, growling lowly at him as she dared him to do something. He frowned, his lips tightening as his eyes flashed gold. Hermione wasn't surprised, the full moon was tomorrow. He must be suppressing his wolf's urges to make her submit.

"You're lying Hermione. Everyone can see you're not okay. You haven't been eating well, and you refuse to talk to anyone." A lie. Hermione had been spending her spare time in the forest, having achieved a tentative friendship with the centaurs, who indulged in her curiosity. "What happened with Regulus? You two were close the first two weeks of term, and now you can't even look at him. Did something happen?" His voice slowly raised, garnering some attention from the few students in the common room. Hermione's eyes flashed, anger rising quickly. "You, of all people, have no right to question my actions Remus. You haven't spoken to me once since that night, avoiding me when I tried to talk to you, and _now_ you're demanding answers?" She growled out furiously. "You turned your back on me, and now you have the nerve to ask me what's wrong? Why don't you just leave me alone." She bit out, feeling the sudden urge to cry. She saw guilt fill his eyes, even as his nostrils flared at the challenge she was presenting.

A body stepped in between them, silver eyes meeting hers with a warning in them. Her lip curled. "I don't know what this is about, but maybe you should leave." She sneered at the command in Sirius's tone, but said nothing, storming out of the common room.

When she reached the Black Lake, she refrained from throwing herself to the ground, instead lowering herself gently, the very sun seeming to mock her as it beat down on her neck. She wrapped her arms around her knees before laying her head down on them, staring blankly at the lake. Her head was in a whirlwind of emotions. She wanted to scream, she wanted to cry, she wanted to fight.

She wanted her Pack back.

It was never her choice to come here. It wasn't her choice to leave them.

Tears fell from her eyes, her arms tightening around her knees as she buried her face in the sleeves of the sweater that faintly smelled of Regulus. She hated it, but she had become awfully attached to the Slytherin boy. She missed him. She wished she had never become friends with him, if only because it hurt so much to know she shouldn't have done it in the first place. The only one she had been told to become close to, was Remus and he had utterly refused to even talk to her for an entire month. It hurt. She didn't have her family here. She was an outsider. She struggled with magic, and while her fellow first years were scared of her, the other years mocked her. They picked on her, and she couldn't fight back because of the stupid Headmaster and his stupid ability to know if she ever tried. He had given her detention when she hexed a third year, completely ignoring the fact the stupid girl had hexed her first. She knew Dumbledore didn't like her, though for the life of her she couldn't figure out why. It couldn't have been because of the disrespect she gave that first meeting, as countless other students had to have to done it at one point.

It hurt, and she couldn't handle it.

It wasn't till the sun was going down that someone sat next to her. Hermione jerked, startled. Her eyes widened with surprise before narrowing when she saw it was Sirius. She scowled. "Here to gloat, Black?" She sneered, ignoring the way he eyed the sweater she was wearing.

"You were crying weren't you. You're really hurt by this?" His voice was calm, though she could smell the curiosity rolling off of him. Hermione wanted to hit him for it. "I assume you and Remus had a fight. He never said why, but then you two just stopped talking." Hermione couldn't help the pangs of hurt that coursed through her, though her tears seemed to have finally given up. Remus had been the one to stop talking to her. He had been her only comfort and he abandoned her for someone who didn't even know him, not truly.

"And then you stopped talking to my brother." Hermione stiffened. Sirius didn't seem to notice. "Yet, here you are wearing his sweater. He's been much more withdrawn you know." She had known. She noticed it every day in class, he was completely closed off. She shut her eyes and laid her head back on her arms. Sirius continued. "I hadn't expected you to make such an impact on him. He's a pureblood, as you well know. Our… mother is very strict and doesn't like for her sons to associate with those with lesser blood." Hermione inhaled sharply at that. "Not that I think that anymore! After you punched me, Remus and Peter railed into me about what I said. I didn't believe what they were saying, but then even my baby brother stuck up for you. He's had the pureblood beliefs pounded into him much more than I had, especially after I got sorted into Gryffindor. For him to stick up for you – it meant I was wrong. About you, about muggleborns in general…." He trailed off. He looked at her. "You know, he thinks it was something he did that's made you so upset with him. It's been eating at him." Her heart felt heavy. Hermione glanced up at him, subtly breathing in. He was being sincere. She sighed, straightening up.

"We fought about you. Me and Remus. You were still being an arse to me, for practically no reason. I said some things that made Remus upset, and he defended you." Hermione shrugged, though her voice cracked at the end. She took a breath. "It really upset me. Remus had been my family. In the brief time I had spent with him, he had become my family. We argued." She laughed, and Sirius cringed at how hollow it sounded. "And then he refused to even look at me afterwards." Sirius opened his mouth to say something but closed it again.

Hermione wiped at her eyes and face. "I wasn't mad at Regulus. He's been the only true friend I've ever had. I just- I can't be friends with him. I have duties of my own, to my family." Her words felt empty, even to herself. Sirius scoffed. "Did you not hear what I said? He is, quite literally, going against my mother's wishes just to be friends with you. And you're not even going to do the same?" Sirius stood up. "Regulus deserves better than that." Hermione felt tears pricking at her eyes, making her huff in frustration. "He understands about duties to family. He wouldn't stop you from doing yours. You shouldn't give up having friends because of it." With that, he walked away. He was right. Wolves weren't solitary creatures, and it was only hurting her at this point. She sighed, resolving to fix things between her and her boys.


	4. Chapter 4

**This took forever and I apologize buuuuut I am going to attempt to stick to an update schedule where I update every two weeks, so fingers crossed I'll actually manage to do that! I've really just been getting completely sucked into some really epic fics that are also a series, and it's just a problem. But anywho! Here's the chapter! Enjoy!**

 **xx**

* * *

Hermione was shaking. She was on her way to meet with Regulus, only he had no idea she was meeting with him, and she was terrified she might've lost her only friend.

She knew he'd be in the library before dinner as that always been their thing together, and she knew he still went. Hermione took a deep breath, tugging nervously at the sleeves of the sweater she still wore. She had no idea how he'd react to her coming to him now.

It really had been sudden. She gave no warning, literally just up and stopped talking to him. She winced. Maybe that really wasn't the best way to go about it. He hadn't an idea why she did it.

She took a deep breath, hating the unfamiliar feelings that ran through her. It was never this complicated with her family.

Entering the library she immediately went to one of the further alcoves they had found in the first few days. She found him surrounded by books and loose parchments, his brows furrowed in concentration as he scowled at the book in his lap. Her lips quirked up in a smile, fondness running through her at his frustrated look.

"Frowning at textbooks isn't going to change what they say Regulus." His head snapped up at her voice, his eyes wide before they narrowed.

Her smile slowly dropped as her chest began to hurt again. She bit her lip, shifting nervously. "I know you're upset with me and you have every right to be, but I wanted to give you this." She muttered, pulling out the wooden carving she had been painstakingly working on. Regulus said nothing, just stared at her with narrowed eyes, the rest of his face closed off.

She felt tears prickling her eyes, but she pushed through, taking a deep breath.

"I was being stupid. I was angry at what Lily said and the way she immediately pitied me. It reminded me of the reason I came here, and I thought it'd be best to shut you out." Her voice cracked, but she soldiered through. "I – apologize for everything. You're my only friend and I want to make things right again." She toyed with the carving before setting it down on top his book.

Hermione took a deep breath, closing her eyes as she reeled back her emotions. She opened them again once she felt calm again.

She smiled faintly at Regulus who was staring softly at the carving. "I hope you can forgive me."

Hermione hurried out the library, feeling so much better. He hadn't said anything, but he hadn't told her to go away immediately either.

It'd be enough for now.

Hermione smiled to herself brightly. She could talk to him tomorrow.

That smile quickly faded however, as a rough hand shoved at her back, causing her to tumble forward. She growled lowly, turning to see who did it only to back up warily, her eyes narrowing.

Evan Rosier.

He teased her mercilessly upon finding out she was friends with Regulus. When he discovered they stopped talking to him, Rosier took it to mean she was free game and began to actively seek her out as target practice.

Hermione gritted her teeth at the smug smirk on the seventh year Slytherin. He stalked closer to her, his eyes gleaming brightly. "Hello there, love."

xXx

Regulus fingered the carved owl softly, conflicting emotions roaring through him.

He was more than surprised she actually had been paying attention, having thought that she wasn't listening when he was just talking about whatever he had been thinking about. He had ended up divulging his intense desire to sometimes just fly away from everything. To fly away from his family, from all his responsibilities. She hadn't commented about it, nor when he mentioned he liked to imagine he was one of the owls that would come to his home.

He hadn't thought she had been paying attention, so focused she looked when working on the one for Lupin.

Regulus felt warmth pool throughout him, a small smile tugging at his lips as he ran his thumb along the edges. She paid attention when he said it was his favorite animal, something not even his brother knew.

His smile slowly fell the more he stared at it. He had been surprised to see her. She had actively avoided him, no matter how much he had tried to talk to her.

It hurt.

She had been the only different one in their year, the only one who he had such an effortless friendship with. He knew he had been worrying his brother the more he withdrew, but everything just felt odd.

Regulus sighed, snapping his textbook shut. He gathered his things as he stood up, still playing with the wooden owl.

He was more surprised she apologized though, as she had been barely learning just why she had to do so two weeks ago. Maybe she was still talking with Hagrid? What ever it was, it seemed to help her drastically with many of her previous shortcomings.

He would talk to her tomorrow. It was too late now, as after dinner they had to go to their common rooms. But they had classes together, so tomorrow.

xXx

Remus was more than anxious. The full moon was tonight, and he was a horrible mix of anxiety and terror.

His hands wouldn't stop shaking. He was sluggish and couldn't concentrate in his classes. More than once he had to brush off concerned comments from the lads.

He was terrified of another full moon without Hermione. The last one had been one of the worst nights he had ever experienced. His wolf had not been happy in the least that he chased away a Packmate and made sure Remus knew just how unhappy it was about it.

Remus sighed, propping his head against his hand as he stared blankly out the window. He absently heard Binns droning on about some odd rebellion but didn't particularly care.

" _You need to calm down Remus. Just relax and let it happen. All you're doing is agitating your wolf when you fight the transformation. I can show –." Remus glared at Hermione, cutting her off. "I don't care if I'm agitating the stupid wolf! I don't need your help with the moon!"_

He had hated Hermione at first.

She was so different, so much wilder than him. She relied on her nose, on her hearing in such a way it was unnatural. She was everything his father had warned him about with the weres. It had been so much worse with the full moon. He had denied her help, hating the fact she thought she could do anything that'd make it better.

It took her actually spending the second full moon with him for him to realize she had a point. It looked almost effortless for her to transform. There was no agonizing pain, no torturous screams. It was as if she was Hermione, and then a wolf. He had asked her about it the day after, receiving a curious stare.

" _Of course it doesn't hurt. It really only hurts the first time you change because it's new and foreign. Once you accept the new presence, everything clicks into place. For me, it's like becoming whole and coming home."_

He missed her.

Remus knew he was in the wrong with this situation. Hermione had tried to reconcile with him, and he refused. He refused to talk to her. He blatantly ignored her.

It was childish, he knew that.

He had just been so tired of her and Sirius fighting all the time. And he chose Sirius. He hadn't wanted to lose one of his first friends, and Hermione would forgive him he knew. She would always forgive him because of the pack bond.

(Remus didn't like to think too hard about how much easier he was accepting some parts of being a werewolf than others)

He ignored the faint stirrings of hurt and anger and fierce loneliness he knew came from her.

He felt guilty about how he treated her. He just really didn't want to lose his friends, and she had just been an intrusion on his life at first. He never understood her constant, frustrating need to be close to him, to constantly drape herself on him.

It wasn't really until he started ignoring her that he felt the effect it had on him.

He was more irritable. More prone to bouts of anger, that scared him sometimes. He only really calmed when one of the lads put an arm around his shoulder, the touch seeming to help. It still wasn't the same as the total relaxation Hermione had always provided, and it bothered him.

He still wasn't comfortable with being a werewolf. He wasn't comfortable with how heightened his senses were, how he could potentially hurt someone.

Hermione made him simultaneously relaxed and uncomfortable.

Remus dropped his head to the desk, ignoring Binns as he closed his eyes for respite, hating the way his hearing automatically heightened with his eyes closed.

He needed to sort things out with Hermione before he completely botched it all up.

xXx

Regulus reached the transfiguration classroom much earlier than he usually did, anxious to talk to Hermione. He may be angry with her for how she had been treating him, but he wanted answers. He wanted to know why.

And then he'll see if she deserved his forgiveness.

He resisted the urge to shift back and forth on his feet, nodding politely when Professor McGonagall greeted him good morning. It was almost time for class to begin when Hermione finally sidled in next to him, her brows drawn together angrily, lips in a thin white line. She attempted a smile but only managed more a grimace than anything.

Regulus raised a brow at her, receiving a sharp shake of her head.

It wasn't until they got into the practical part of class that he managed to talk to her.

"So are you going to tell me why you were avoiding me?" He asked casually, not bothering to be subtle about it. He wanted his friend back honestly. He couldn't stand any of his year-mates and the older years were nothing but political alliances. He _missed_ her.

Hermione let out a low sigh, practicing the wand movements in a manner he knew meant she was distracted. "It was more of a family issue. I was avoiding you because of obligations to my family that I had been neglecting." Regulus didn't miss the way she slumped after saying it. He felt a sharp surge of anger. "You don't think I have problems with my family? For just being friends with you? Why didn't you say anything?" He looked back at the mouse sitting on his desk, tamping down furiously at the rising hurt.

Hermione only slumped further into her seat. "I was being stupid, I know that. Sirius already told me I was." She muttered.

Regulus let out a breath. He hadn't known his brother talked to her. "Is that the only reason you're talking to me now?" He asked blankly, forcing out a calm indifference he didn't feel.

Hermione let out an affronted noise, giving him a glare. "Of course it's not the only reason you idiot. I missed you, and I realized I really was being incredibly stupid with what I was doing. No better than Remus honestly."

Regulus shot her a look. "Lupin was a different situation. I don't consider it to be the same." He said sharply.

"But it _is_ the same Reg. Only difference is you didn't know the reason." Hermione argued. She set her wand down, stopping the pretense of practicing her motions, turning to him with a hard look on her face. Regulus gave a wry smile. "Are you trying to convince me to not be friends with you or what?" Hermione rolled her eyes. "Shut up."

He grinned, feeling more light-hearted than he had before.

"Of course, your Royal Highness." He mock bowed, earning a fond grin.

"I really do feel terrible Reggie. I should have talked to you. It's just… it's difficult. It's all so frustrating." She frowned, looking at him with pitiful eyes. His nose scrunched at the sight of it, not used to seeing his normally headstrong friend looking so pathetic. "I understand. You really should have told me. I know all about duties to family." He said the last part with hints of bitterness lacing his tone. Hermione grabbed his hand, knowing exactly what he was talking about.

He sighed, patting her arm. Hermione flinched, attempting to draw her arm back but Regulus snatched It before she could. He gently pulled up her sleeve, frowning hard when he saw the large bruise encompassing a good majority of her forearm. "Who did this?" He asked quietly. She yanked her arm out of his grasp, shoving her sleeve down, glaring at him. "It doesn't matter, it'll go away by tonight."

xXx

Hermione huffed as she made her way to the Whomping Willow, the only passageway to the Shrieking Shack that would be her cage this full moon. She tugged at strands of her hair, curling them around her fingers nervously as she stressed about how Remus would react with her there. She didn't want to see him after the spat they had yesterday, but her wolf wasn't having it. It wanted their Packmate, no matter their fighting.

Hermione grumbled to herself, grabbing more pieces of hair and braiding small bits of it in an attempt to calm her nerves. If Remus would just stop being an idiot, things wouldn't be so difficult.

xXx

Regulus watched his brother walk away with longing and just a hint of old bitterness. He wished Sirius would at least pretend to be the son their parents wanted him to be. He loved his brother dearly, but his parents were so much harsher on him because of Sirius. They expected more things and pounded more and more into his head that were meant for the heir of the House of Black. All because Sirius refused to even attempt to act like a proper pureblood heir.

It was beyond frustrating.

The small boy sighed heavily, slumping against the wall of the Astronomy tower. Sometimes he wished desperately he wasn't a Black.

He closed his eyes, pulling up the beginnings of the Occlumency shields as he'd been taught, in a bid of not feeling for a little while. A barking laugh however, had his eyes shooting open and hands reaching for his wand.

"Well hello there little Black. What are you doing on this fine night?"

Regulus got to his feet slowly, with the gracefulness befitting his station. He eyed the older boy warily. "Rosier. I could ask the same of you." The older Slytherin grinned toothily as he made his way to the tower window, shoulder length hair swooped back in a low ponytail. Regulus raised an eyebrow.

"Just enjoying the full moon, as I always do every month." Rosier smirked. Regulus's eyes narrowed dangerously. "It is such a magic filled night is it not, Black?"

Hermione had been more than reluctant to tell him about the older Slytherin, only really relenting when he got manipulative about it. She had marks from the teen, which irked him to no end.

"I suppose it is." Regulus conceded, moving to stand next to Rosier, staring out the window. His brows furrowed as confusion made its way on his face, looking at the small but unmistakable figure of Hermione making her way out of the castle. He shot a glance at Rosier, finding a large grin on his face, satisfaction gleaming brightly in his icy blue eyes.

"Well well well. Little mudblood is wandering where she shouldn't be. Tsk tsk. What trouble she'll be in if she were to get caught." Rosier crooned.

Regulus glared at him, pushing past him as he hurried out the tower to try and catch up to Hermione. Why was she sneaking out? Didn't she know how dangerous it was to be wandering the grounds at night?

She was so incredibly frustrating sometimes.

Regulus never saw the thoughtful look on Rosier's face.

xXx

Hermione was just about to enter the passageway beneath the willow when she heard someone yell her name. Her head shot up, nose already twitching trying to scent who it was.

Her eyes widened when she saw it was Regulus. He was running to catch up to her. She growled, eyes narrowing. "Regulus! What are you doing here?" She hissed, glancing behind him to see if anyone else was with him. The moon was almost at its peak, and she'd be changing soon. Regulus frowned at her when he got close, an odd look on his face, his scent swirling around her.

"What am I doing here? What are you doing here? It's already past curfew!" He exclaimed, his normally uptight demeanor falling to the side with concern. Hermione wanted to scream in frustration, now was really not the time. "Regulus you need to leave now. It's not safe tonight." His eyes narrowed, mouth open to argue.

"Hermione?" She froze at Remus's voice, hearing the hopeful note in it. She sucked in a breath, shutting her eyes. "Remus you stupid idiot, you _know_ what's about to happen, what the hell are you doing?" She growled under her breath, knowing he could hear her.

"What is Lupin doing here? I thought you were still fighting with each other?" Regulus asked, bewilderment overriding any of his previous frustration with her. Hermione looked to the moon and found it even higher than before. "Reggie, I know you're confused but you need to trust me. You need to leave now." It wasn't even that she would hurt him. She'd never hurt him. It was Remus. He still had no control over his wolf and would likely kill him. Regulus gave her a speculative look, before finally nodding. Relief coursed through her, and she beamed brightly at him.

"Awesome, okay so I'll explain tomorrow just –." She was abruptly cut off by a growl coming from behind her. Her heart stuttered and fell to her stomach when she smelled Remus's wolf coming from behind her.

He must've not made it to the Shrieking Shack and the wolf came back to where it could smell her.

"Regulus you need to run. Now." She said, already feeling the magic singing in her veins as she started to change herself. He stared at her unsurely. "Run!" She yelled, falling to all fours as the moon sang sweetly to her. Regulus sprinted, and Hermione could only hope Remus's wolf would be more interested in staying with Pack than chasing a human.

xXx

Regulus panted heavily as he ran as fast as he could back to the castle, his heart hammering uncomfortably in his chest, ears ringing in his panic and desperation to get to the safety of Hogwarts.

Hermione was a werewolf.

 _Hermione_ was a _werewolf_.

It registered faintly that Lupin was evidently a werewolf as well, but not nearly so clear as the fact his best friend was a _monster_.

But she _wasn't_. _His_ Hermione isn't a monster.

It all made sense. So many oddities of hers made so much more sense now. The way her eyes seemed to glow when she was angry, the odd way she always seemed to sniff him or hear things he couldn't. She's even growled.

All of it were signs that he hadn't a clue were there.

Regulus nearly dropped with relief when he was not 5 feet from the castle, almost to the steps of the passageway he snuck out from.

All that really went through his head was how relieved he was that what ever was wrong with Hermione had nothing to do with him. Was this what she was so terrified about, that she avoided him for two weeks?

He quickly went through the door, slumping against the wall as his heart finally began slowing its thunderous beats. It took a while for the sheer incredulity of the situation to sink in. His only friend and she's both a muggleborn and a half-breed. Oh how his mother would just kill him if she knew.

Regulus let out a soft laugh, honestly amazed at how he hadn't figured it out before. Hermione had never been very subtle about anything.

Did the Headmaster know? Did anyone else know?

His eyes narrowed as he considered. Rosier likely knows if the way he acted said anything. Regulus shook his head, no Rosier definitely knew something. Whether it was this, or something else, he knew something about Hermione.

Regulus sighed, dropping his head back against the wall. It mildly surprised him he was taking this in so calmly. But the more he thought about it the more he realized it didn't really bother him. His immediate thoughts had been of Hermione being a monster. He knew that wasn't true. She had never shown an inkling of what he had been told to be true of werewolves.

She was kind – to him at least – and she was thoughtful. She was smart and once she got the hang of her magic, she was much stronger than many of the other first years.

It was oddly freeing, knowing something so dangerous and secretive about his bushy-haired friend. He didn't even know how to explain it to himself. He wondered if Lupin's own friends knew about his condition. He wondered how long it would take for them to figure it out.

Regulus sighed softly, getting up and making his way to his common room. He would get an explanation out of her tomorrow.

* * *

 **xx**

 **I kind of finished this incredibly late, so excuse any mistakes I might've blown over. I originally had different plans on how I wanted this chapter to end, but this seemed better. This isn't the best but I sincerely hope you guys liked it.**


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